I have never shared my fitness journey on my blog before. If I am being honest, I wasn’t 100% sure that I could lose the weight and keep it off. I also never liked photos of me, so posting monthly pictures of my progress was my worst nightmare. I am really proud of my progress because I made a lifestyle change. I didn’t do one of those crazy diets or use weight-loss pills. I simply changed my diet, went to the gym more and most importantly, was consistent. I definitely didn’t see results right away, it took a few months, but once my clothes starting fitting better I wanted to keep going.

I’ll never forget the moment I wanted to change my lifestyle. It was the end of August and I was heading into Old Navy to buy jeans for the new school year. I picked up a couple different sizes; a 6 and an 8. I have always fluctuated between those two sizes since I was in high school so I figured I would have luck with one of them. When neither of those fit, I became devastated. I remember just sitting on the bench in the dressing room, watching myself cry in the mirror. I know so lame, but I needed a wake up call - badly.

It has taken me 3 years to go from a size 10 in women’s pants to a size 4. Last weekend I was wearing jean shorts in a size 2 so I have made even more progress this summer than I was anticipating!! Notice how I am not telling you how much I weigh? I never once got on the scale. Reason being is because I started lifting. I wanted to gain muscle so that I burned more calories and toned up. I realized I couldn't just do cardio. Cardio was great in the beginning stages of my fitness journey, but once I got to a size 6, I realized I needed to step it up by adding in weights.

I also learned very quickly that I needed to change my eating habits. First thing I did was eliminate snacking before bed. This was the hardest thing I had to do. I loved having a little late snack while I watched a show before bed. I discovered that since I was not active at night like I was in the morning, the carbs would just sit there. Then I started limiting foods. Yes, limiting not eliminating. I would have carbs (pasta, bread, bagels ugh!!) and cheese maybe twice a week. It was the worst, but also the best. Those foods were going straight to my hips and I noticed a huge difference when I cut my intake. Then I replaced unhealthy snacks (chips, cheese-itz, cookies) with healthier options like fruits, hummus with rice crackers and my guilty pleasure - a pudding pack (60 calories) with a bit of whipped cream. I had to have something to look forward to or I would have gone crazy and probably given up. I also started buying items that were organic and contained ingredients that I actually understood.

Look at the ingredients on the back of some of your favorite items. If you don’t know what half those ingredients are, then most likely it’s not good for you. What you put in your body is so important!! One thing to always remember is never ever give up something you love completely. It is impossible to give up candy or ice cream forever, especially if it is one of your favorite guilty pleasures. Give into your temptations sometimes, just limit yourself. Instead of getting a large ice cream, order a small. Instead of 4 cookies, only eat 2. If you just start eating fruits and vegetables and give up everything that’s bad for you, I guarantee you will slip into bad habits again. Being disciplined and consistent are the 2 keys to becoming healthy and staying fit. I’m not a nutritionist or a personal trainer but I am very proud that I managed to get down to a size 4 (sometimes a 2) all by myself and kept it off.

I have definitely babbled on much more than I anticipated, but I hope my story inspires you to get fit. Not only will you look better, but you will feel good, your skin will be clearer and you'll have more energy! I promise I will stop rambling on and get to the part of the blog post that you actually came here for.

I start off my morning with a couple of boiled eggs, cheerios and fruit. I usually go for a clementine or an apple because they are both my favorite. I also have a cup of green tea. I know you’ve heard it before, but green tea is so, so good for your body. It helps speed up your metabolism and it’s packed with tons of antioxidants. This breakfast doesn’t seem very exciting but I actually enjoy it and it keeps me full for a few hours.

For lunch, I have become obsessed with salads. If you told that I would be saying that 3 months ago, I would’ve laughed in your face. I used to do anything to avoid eating a salad for lunch. I finally found one that taste good and keeps me full! It doesn’t seem like much, but trust me, its filling. I put spinach, cucumbers, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and either chicken or tuna in a bowl and use a lime for my dressing. I really don’t like dressing, so when I discovered this I was hooked. Make sure you get spinach and not lettuce. I have tried it with lettuce and you don’t get the same taste. I also pair this salad with a fruit smoothy. I usually just have mixed berries and pineapple in my smoothies.

I mentioned above that my afternoon snacks are usually a piece of fruit, hummus with rice crackers or pudding with a bit of whipped cream. If I am really hungry, I will occasionally grab some pretzels or an organic cereal bar, but that is very rare.

Dinner was very tricky for me when I started my weightless journey. Every night I would eat a carb, whether it be pasta, bread or potatoes. I have definitely become more creative with dinner but for the purposes of this post, I want to show you what I eat the most for dinner. I have found a love for salmon and asparagus. I buy them every week at the grocery store. Fish is so good for you so I have made a point to incorporate it into my diet a lot more frequently than before. I also get so bored of chicken so this is a nice change.

If you have any great recipes, please feel free to share them! I am always looking for new healthy meals to make. It’s nice to change it up every once and awhile. Please feel free to share you fitness story with me as well. I love hearing about others fitness stories as much as I love sharing mine!

There is no quick and easy way to lose weight. No one wants to hear that but its the ugly truth. Everyone says eating right and exercising is all you need to be healthy, but I think it is so much more than that.

For one thing you need to be consistent. You also need to have drive and determination. Set a goal for yourself and stick to it until you achieve it. When I first began working out and living a healthy lifestyle, my goal was to fit into size 4 skinny jeans. I now where I size 2 skinny jean and let me tell you, its the best feeling in the world.

When you first start exercising it is the worst thing in the entire world. It is difficult to get motivated. For me, exercising with another person helped me stay consistent. I was going on runs with my cousin and there were so many times I wanted to cancel on her, but never did because I felt bad (and honestly I did have a good excuse. I was just lazy).

Once I started to see results I started to become addicted to working out. I also felt a lot better both physically and mentally. I even started to noticed myself wearing clothes I had never dared to wear. Like yoga pants and leggings. I wouldn't touch those things. I was way too self conscious of my legs. Now I can't take them off!

After a year or so of running and doing the elliptical at the gym, I noticed I wasn't really loosing weight anymore. I was just maintaining it. I knew I needed to change things up with my workout and start taking it to the next level. That's when I started lifting.

Lifting has been one of the best things I ever started doing. I saw immediate changes in my body after just a few weeks of starting. I also began to gain more confidence than I ever had before.

Did you know that resistance training helps burn more calories before and after your workout? Yes that's right after your workout too! In the hours after lifting, your muscles will continue to consume oxygen. When your body uses oxygen it requires more calorie expenditure which increases you're metabolism and helps you burn fat. How cool is that?!

Many women do not lift because of fear that they will get too "bulky" or "big", but that is not the case at all! Unless you're a body builder you aren't going to get huge. A high intensity workout session will just help you tone up and get stronger. You will be absolutley amazed when you begin to see your body transformation after you consistently add weight training to your workout. I lift now more than I ever did before and I love it!

Consistency, motivation and resistance training are my secrets to losing weight. One other important thing to remember when your trying to live a healthy lifestyle is to make sure you are doing it for you and only you. Don't lose weight because your boyfriend or your husband or your friend told you too. No. Do it for you. You deserve to feel confident and happy in your own skin. If you workout because other people told you to do it, then you will only be discouraged. Work hard and never give up, especially on those days you just want to sit on the couch! Get up and get moving.

One thing I have learned about a healthy lifestyle is that losing weight and eating healthy is a state of mind. If you want a donut, then you need to eat that donut, but then go out and go for a walk after. If you just give up all sweets you love and only eat healthy foods then you are going to lose motivation very quickly. Remember, you want to create healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Not just habits that will last a few months. You can do anything you put your mind to. You totally got this! A healthy, happy lifestyle starts now!

Working out and eating healthy can be very difficult! It really is so important for us to take care of our bodies by staying active and eating right! If you are just a beginner or are a seasoned workout veteran, then you will enjoy these 4 post work-out snacks that will help you properly refuel your body and help your muscles recover after exercising.

These are all very easy to make and they taste great! Check out my 4 favorite post-work snacks below. For more healthy snack ideas and NUTritious ways on how to restore your energy, check out Nuts.com. Nuts.com has been a family business since 1929 by selling the highest quality nuts, dried fruits and healthy foods. Happy eating!

1. No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls

First, put all the dry ingredients (oats, coconut flakes, flaxseeds, chia seeds and cinnamon) in a large bowl and mix together. Next, add in the peanut butter, vanilla, honey and chocolate chips and stir. If the mixture seems too dry, add a tsp. of water or a bit more honey.

Now place the bowl with all the ingredients into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. After 30 minutes, roll into small balls that are about 1 inch in size. Make sure to store your Protein Balls in an air tight container in the fridge so they stay fresh all week long! This is one snack that always keeps me full and energized throughout the day.

2. Fresh Salsa and Rice Chips

3-4 Tomatoes1/2 Packet of Concord Foods Seasoning Mix(You can cut up a purple onion and toss that in as well)

Cut about about 3-4 tomatoes. Then add the tomatoes and a 1/2 a packet of Concord Foods Seasoning Mix to your bowl and stir. If you want the salsa to be spicier you can add the whole packet in. This is best when it is cold, so you can either eat it right away or wait 30 minutes till it chills. I crave this salsa at least once a week. It is so fresh, and has a lot less sodium than most salsas you buy at the store.

3. Cheese, Crackers and an Apple

It can't get much simpler or more tastier than cheese, crackers and an apple. Cutting out bread and pasta was very difficult for me until I found these Rice Thin Crackers. 15 crackers is 130 calories, 180mg of sodium and 24 grams of carbohydrates. They are made with brown rice, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and flax seeds plus they are delicious! Instead of cheese I will substitute either peanut butter or turkey slices to switch it up every once and awhile.

4. Tropical Vitamin Blast Smoothie with Almonds

This is my favorite post-workout smoothy. It has a ton of vitamins and minerals plus you're getting your daily dose of fruit in a delicious way. I mix all these ingredients in my NutriBullet, but you can also use a blender as well. Sometimes I add flax seed and chia seeds to get some more antioxidants and Omega-3's. Since I do not put protein in my smoothy, I like to have a handful of almonds to satisfy my hunger. This is a great snack after working out on those hot summer days!

Finding ways to stay healthy can be really difficult. I am always looking for quick, easy ways to stay healthy but also enjoy what I am eating and drinking. For those of you that don't know I am a tea enthusiast! As I was reading through a magazine a few weeks ago I found this article about drinking hot water and lemon in the morning. I was amazed that something as simple as lemon water could have so many benefits. I immediately started to do more research about this and thought I would share what I learned!

If you're trying to be healthy and looking for a quick and easy way to kick start your morning, then you have come to the right place! Here are 10 benefits of hot water and lemon:

1. Protects Your Immune SystemLemon is an excellent source of vitamin C. Lemons also contain pectin fiber, which is beneficial for colon health and also serves as a powerful antibacterial. When you add lemon to a cup of hot water, it helps flush out all the bad toxins in your body keeping you happy and healthy!

2. Provides lots of VitaminsLemons not only are a great source of vitamin C, they also are a great source of citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium!

4. Cures the Common ColdI am always looking for a way to get rid of a cold! I was most excited about this benefit because nothing ever seems to work.

5. Clears SkinThe vitamin C component as well as other antioxidants helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes and it helps to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is vital for healthy glowing skin while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne. Since lemon water purges toxins from your blood, it would also be helping to keep your skin clear of blemishes from the inside out.

6. Boosts Your MoodThe energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

7. Aids in Weight LossThe pectin fibers found in lemons help fight hunger cravings. Starting your day of with a cup of hot water and lemon will help you make better choices throughout the day.

8. Aids in Digestion Lemons are high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating.

9. Promotes HealingVitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury. It is good to drink hot water and tea after an intense workout to help your muscles recover.

10. Quick and EasyBoiling a pot of water and slicing up a few lemons in the morning does not take long at all. You don't have to change up your routine drastically just to start your day off right. Plus this doesn't taste half bad!